Semistationary tail gate for rear dump bodies



April 13, 1948. v. 1.; sNow 2,439,535 SEMISTATIONARY TAIL GATE FOR REAR DUMP BODIES Filed Feb. 5, 1946 ZSheets-Sheetl E V/NV'EN Tag VIR GIL L. Juaw A TTORNE'YJ April 13,1948. v, ,sN w 2,439,585

SEMIS'I'ATIONARY TAIL GATE FOR REAR DUMP BODIES IN VE N TOR V/R GIL L. JNOW A TTORNEV'J Patented Apr. 13, 1948 SEMISTATIONARY TAIL GATE FOR REAR DUMP BODIES Virgil L. Snow, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to The Euclid Road Machinery 00., Euclid, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 5, 1946, Serial No. 645,561

This invention relates to improvements in a semi-stationary tail gate for a rear dump vehicle body.

An object of the present invention is to provide in combination with a vehicle body having a chute-like portion for discharging the vehicle load, a substantially stationary tail gate which Fi 1 is a side elevational view showing a vehicle equipped with my improvement;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the vehicle body raised to dumping position;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the vehicle of Fig. 2 taken at the right-hand end of Fig. 2; while Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1, I have shown one embodiment of my invention wherein an automotive vehicle having a frame IB is supported by a pair of front wheels I l, and a pair of rear wheels I! which are driven through propeller shaft l3 by means of an engine enclosed in the hood M. The vehicle has a dumping body l5 having a bottom I51: and side walls I5b. The rear portion of this body is a chute-like arrangement for-med by the rear end of the bottom of the body sloping upwardly, as indicated at I5c, between the side walls so as to form a chute having an open end l5d. This type of body, without further attachments, is suflicient for many hauling purposes. However, when hauling certain materials, especially up hill, such as very wet materials, there is a tendency for the material to be lost out the open end d. of the dumping chute. It is an object of the present invention to overcome this difficulty in such a manner that the vehicle operator need pay no attention to the improved device but merely operates the vehicle and the dumping operation thereof, in the usual manner.

My improvement comprises a tail gate l6 so positioned on the vehicle frame that it completely closes the open end l5d of the discharge chute 3 Claims. (Cl. 298-23) when the body is in carrying position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. It will be noted that the open end of this chute is in a plane extending rearwardly and downwardly at an angle of approximately 45 degrees and the inner face of the tail gate is disposed in this same plane so as to completely close the chute. The tail gate is supported on a pair of parallel arms I1 which are rigidly connected with the ends of the tail gate and extend forwardly and downwardly to pivotal mountings on the pivot pins l8. As best seen in Fig. 5, each of these pins is threaded into a metallic plate or block l9, which is welded at 20 to the body [5. Each pin has a shoulder portion lBa on which the arm I1 is rotatably mounted.

Preferably, the pins [8 are mounted on the axis 2| which is common to the pins l8 and to the hinge pin 22 which pivotally connects the body ribs 23 with the hinge bracket 24 mounted on frame l0. While this is my preferred construction it should be understood that some variation from this is permitted so long as the arc of movement of the end I511 of the chute will cause the same to engage the face of the tail gate l6 when the body is in the position of Fig. 1.

Means is provided for holding the tail gate in the position of Fig. 2 when the vehicle body is dumped. The means here shown comprises a pair of cables 25, one for each arm I'l. Each of these cables is fixed to the vehicle frame: at its inner end 25a where a loop in the cable is fastened to a hook or ring on the vehicle body. The cable then passes outwardly around a supporting pin 26 which is held by means of a bracket 21 fastened to the frame. Preferably, the pin has an outwardly extending bottom projection 26a to prevent the dropping of the cable. The rear end of each cable passes through a sleeve Ila rigid with its associated arm I! and the rear end of each cable is provided with a button 28 to prevent the withdrawal of the cable through the sleeve I la.

Preferably, when the body I5 is in carrying position, as shown in Fig. 1, the rear end of the chute lifts the tail gate l6 slightly upwardly and in a counter-clockwise direction around the pins l8 leaving a slight gap 29 between the button 28 and the sleeve Ila. Where the vehicle body is of a size to hold ten to fifteen tons of earth material, the tail gate may be raised as much 'as say two inches from the position of Fig. 2, to that shown in Fig. 1.

In the dumping operation, a hydraulic jack 3!! is operated by means not shown, under the control of the operator to raise the body to dumping 3 position, as shown in Fig. 2. As the end of the chute l5d starts to move downwardly from the position of Fig. 1 toward that of Fig. 2, the tail gate l6 moves very slightly in a clockwise direction about the pins l 8 until the button 28 strikes the sleeve Ila, arresting the movement of the ate.

as to dump the load in the body. During this operation the vehicle operator need pay no at,-

tention to the tail gate, as it remains in the position of Fig. 2 entirely clear of the dumping load.

For instance, in the heavy duty vehicle mentioned above, where the vehicle body is of a depth of 2 /2 to 3 feet the gate IS in the position of Fig. 2 will clear the side walls lib by approximately one foot. This gives ample clearance.- for the dumping of the load. When the operator returns the body to the position of Fig. l, the rear end i is again automatically closed.

What I claim is 1.- Incombination a, vehicle frame, a body pivotally mounted near the rear end thereof on the rearend of said frame on a pivotal axis extending transversely of said-vehicle whereby said body is mounted for movement from a generally hori zontal carrying position to a tilted dumping position, said body having a bottom including a portionsloping rearwardly and upwardly from a zoneadjacent said axis, said body having-side walls extendin upwardly from said bottom-to-form'an open topbody with achute portion at the rear end thereof, said side walls and bottom portion ending in a plane sloping downwardly and rearwardly at an angle to'the" horizontal when said body is in carrying position to provide an open end for dumping body contents, 2. tail-gate in 100- sition for closing said open end when-said bodyis in carrying position, arms supporting said-gate and pivotally mounted on said vehicle substan tia'llyonsaid axis, and meansconnectedwith said vehicles for holding. said gate substantially in its The vehicle body continues to tilt in a clockwise direction about the pivotalaxis 2l' sosaid position when said body is tilted to dumpin position.

2. In a vehicle having a frame and an opentop body supported thereby said body in carrying position having a bottom sloping upwardly and rearwardly at its rear end and having side walls extending to the rear end of said bottom wherebysaid bottom and side walls form; a discharge chute at the rear end of said body, said body pivoted near its rear end o said frame on an axis transversely of said vehicle for tilting to dumping position to discharge the body contents, the combination of a tail gate positioned to form an upward extension for said bottom at its rear end when said'body is in carrying position, arms supporting said gate in said position, said arms being pivotally mounted on said frame adjacent said axis, said arms being longer than the vertical extent of said side walls, and means holding said arms in said gate-supporting position.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said gate is engaged and lifted by said bottom when said body is in carrying position, and said last named means limits downward movement of said gate to a very slight amount while permitting upward movement of said gate when engaged by said bottom.

VIRGIL L. SNOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,709,364 Nelson Apr. 16, 1929' 1,727,271 Burns Sept. 3; 1929,

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7 664-26 Australia Jan. 5, 192-7 

